DONALD Trump calling Volodymyr Zelenskyy a "dictator" was "beyond repulsive", the SNP's Westminster leader has said.
As the world marks three years since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Stephen Flynn spoke in the Commons to point out that his party has long stood "in solidarity" with said the Ukrainian people.
Putting questions to Foreign Secretary on Monday, the MP said: “The Scottish National Party has stood alongside the people of Ukraine in solidarity not just for the last three years but for the last 10 years since Putin, of course, invaded Crimea.
“And whilst I won’t invite the Foreign Secretary to agree with me in the chamber, I’m sure he does inside that President Trump’s remarks in relation to Zelenskyy being a ‘dictator’ were beyond repulsive.
“But surely what we all must know is that there is no deal that can be made with Vladimir Putin that he will not break. Does the Foreign Secretary not agree?”
David Lammy replied: “Well, [Mr Flynn] has a point. Russia and Putin have been clear on the terms and the terms that they want for peace have often included the removal of 14 members of the 32 Nato members, that’s unacceptable. We’ve seen Finland and Sweden join more recently.
“And [Russia’s] preconditions for talks have been that Ukraine should effectively give up the territory that they are now in. Such demands it seems to me show an utter contempt for Ukrainian territorial integrity.
“They’re not serious about discussions until they reconsider the criteria that we heard once again from [Russian foreign affairs minister Sergey] Lavrov last week.”
Meanwhile on Wednesday Sir Keir Starmer imposed further sanctions on Russia in an attempt to force Vladimir Putin “not just to talk, but to make concessions”.
The Prime Minister said US President Donald Trump has “changed the global conversation” around Ukraine "for the better", but that this provided an “opportunity”, as world leaders marked the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion.
He repeated calls for Ukraine to have a seat at the table for any peace talks, and for a US “backstop” to any peace agreement, which he is expected to discuss with Trump when he visits Washington later this week.
In New York, the US voted against a UN General Assembly resolution demanding an immediate withdrawal of all Russian troops from Ukraine.
The non-binding resolution passed with 93 votes in favour. The US was joined in voting against by 17 other countries including North Korea, Burundi and Nicaragua, as well as Russia and Belarus.
Starmer had earlier told a gathering of Ukraine’s allies that Putin “does not hold all the cards in this war”.
This appeared to be a response to Trump’s remarks last week that Russia has “the cards” in any peace talks because it has “taken a lot of territory”.
Starmer said a new package of UK sanctions will target Russia’s so-called shadow fleet, used to transport oil and goods in defiance of sanctions, as well as companies in China and elsewhere providing Moscow with military components.
